-or
/ə/
Meaning
Creates an agent noun, often from a verb, indicating a person or object (often machines or parts of them) that do the verb or part of speech with which they are formed.
Creates an agent noun, often from a verb, indicating a person or object (often machines or parts of them) that do the verb or part of speech with which they are formed.
Used to form nouns of quality, state, or condition.
Appended to the names of members of classes of components, especially those that have an extensive property name of the same root suffixed with -ance
Used to form nouns of quality, state, or condition.
Appended to the names of members of classes of components, especially those that have an extensive property name of the same root suffixed with -ance
Examples
settle + -or → settlor
survive + -or → survivor
Resistors possess resistance and inductors possess inductance.
err + -or → error
Word Forms
-ors
-our
Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *-tōr
Proto-Italic *-tōr
Latin -tor
Latin -ātor
Old French -eorbor.
Middle English -our
▲
Latin -torlbor.
English -or
From Middle English -our, from Old French -eor, from Latin -ātor; reinforced by Old French -or and its source, Latin -tor, -tōrem.